What would you do if you won the lottery? Some people dream of winning the lottery, even though the chance of winning is so low. This lucky family won a Power Ball lottery. Instead of buying a new yacht or vacationing in Paris, they have been using this money to change their community.
Pearlie Mae Smith of Trenton, New Jersey won the Powerball Lottery in 2016. She received a huge amount of money – $429 million. Pearlie and her seven children decided that they should put all of the extra income to some good use. Within less than a year, they have changed lives.
The Smith family announced at a press conference what they planned to do with the money. Pearlie Mae Smith made it clear that she and her children want to use this money to help other people and make their community a better place.
Pearlie Smith’s daughter, Valerie Arthur, said during the conference that they each have dreams they want to fulfill in life and things they want to do for the community and for each other. Now, this sweet family can finally do that.
After they received the money and the taxes were deducted, every Smith family member was given about 25 million dollars. They started off using the money to help them get out of some financial problems they had such as student loans and expensive bills.
When the family became financially stable, they moved their focus towards helping people that are living paycheck to paycheck. That is when the Smith Family Foundation started.
The Smith Family Foundation has a focus on enhancing transformation, education, and cultivation by bringing financial support to several organizations in the community. They will also be donating directly to families.
Harold Smith, who is one of the receivers of the money, is the program manager of the Smith Family Foundation. He talked to a local news channel to give more insight into the vision they have for this foundation.
Smith said that they want to fund programs that directly affect systems of poverty. He says that rather than just supplying them with food and clothes, they are using it to which people can find employment and receive proper education. Therefore, they’ll be able to supply their families with food on their own.
Smith continued on saying that his family does not want violence to be the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Trenton. They want people to think of a vibrant city that is bringing new life to the community. He finished by saying that this foundation is a legacy for the family.
The passion that this family has for changing lives is simply amazing. We can’t wait to hear about all of the great things that happen in Trenton because of this.